Social Gathering's
by PrincessEternalO4
Summary: Social Gathering's aren't always the best places to tell someone you love them, especially after being shot. 3x4, 1xR, hints of 2xHilde and others


Title: Social

Genre: Romance (PG-13) naughty swear word

Disclaimer: I don't own Gundam Wing, i can only wish.

Summary: Things never quite go as plan at these social events, no matter how old they get. 3x4, 1xR, hint of 2xHilde and others

Quatre could clearly see from where he sat the uncomfortable stance Relena had taken when Ryan Dagal had approached her with a sinister smile and saw from his movements his attempt at flirting with Relena, as per usual where the young princess was concerned. She disliked being called Princess but Quatre called her it anyway. Perhaps it came from having countless sisters that Quatre couldn't resist the urge to tease the young woman, finding it quite appropriate when his features flared red and she became deeply upset with him which usually ended in Quatre being slapped or on worse occasions, tickled by the woman which only served to make him laugh more and call her Princess and other such names over and over again. Their relationship had at one point been taught and whenever they had met previously they had been so stiff and proper towards each other in such a way that politicans should do that they had never really taken the time to address that perhaps they weren't as different from each other as it first appeared. It had changed that night when they had been argueing by the poolside of Cinq about something or other that was about other folk and rather foolish and Relena had accidently tripped on her long white dress and fallen sideways towards the pool, Quatre had reached out in an attempt to stop her falling but his shoes, which were very nice but not very practical, had not found grip and he too had been sent cascading into the pool. When they surfaced they were both soaking and dripping unpleasantly, Quatre had looked at Relena who was looking at her chest and her apparant lack of a bra which would not constitute as a rather large problem if people were to see her which only caused Quatre to start roaring with laughter, Relena soon joined in and a strange, unique friendship that was more like an actual relationship was formed. Without the sex and kissing part of course, although Heero often displayed indifference towards Relena, Quatre was aware that his head would be severed even he even as much as thought of having it of with the woman in question. Not that he would of course, women parts never did quite turn him on like that. He presumed growing up and seeing his sister's half naked around the place, getting ready for balls and dates and so forth had been enough skin to turn him of women for life.

He had been so lost in thought that he hadn't even noted when Relena pardoned herself from Dagal's attention and sauntered over to Quatre, her usual serene smile lost to a more angry but seductive grin that Quatre returned cunningly. They were like cat and mouse but to whom was the mouse and whom was the cat Quatre wasn't quite 100 percent sure. "Don't say a word" she sat down next to him silently and picked up the large glass of wine Quatre had gotten and drank it rather too quickly for Relena who turned ever so slightly red and coughed gently. Quatre laughed and she glared at him. "And how many of these have you had?" Touche, Quatre thought and smiled gently.

"A few, not enough" she nodded her approval and swept her long fringe away from her eyes, looking almost aggrivatingly at the dance floor were a few hundred people could be seen jousting around. She looked almost dissaproving but Quatre realised that the look she was giving was mere jealousy at the thought her so called prince charming, otherwise known as mr emotionless was not here at the party. Well, he was, just not as a guest but as a preventer somewhere in the building in the shadows where Heero liked to believe he belonged. Although they often baited each other there was comfort in their friendship and often the two would merely sit in and talk although they vacated to resteraunts and bar's more often than nought. "Don't get depressed, you know he's here somewhere. Watching you, listening to your every word..." Quatre teased and she knocked him on the side of his army gently and he laughed. He could picture Heero crouched in a corner shouting, 'damn, there on to me' but that was too farfetched for Quatre to even comprehend he thought lovingly. He didn't dislike Heero, not at all, in fact he felt very fond towards the man, it was just frustrating that Heero had to struggle so much to have some humanity. Unfair more the word he would use for Heero's situation. Quatre had spent nights crying drunkingly in Quatre's arms, sometimes it got too much for her as it did often for Quatre also. Being head of WEI and helping the preventers with minor missions did take it's toll, not to mention being part of the political sphere that allowed him so much free reign with Relena. He often turned to drink as a means of a way out even for a few hours which surprised him considering his faith's banishnment on the evil stuff and his sober ways during and just after the war but stressed mounted and heartache grew at a painful rate that even wonder boy Quatre couldn't take anymore. Not that he was ever drunk in meetings, at work or ridiculed in the press as a drunkard, no, he just liked to drink when it was appropriate.

Dorothy was hovering somewhere in the background of the group Quatre noted with some curiosity to why she would be here, she disliked these social events almost as much as he did and was not exactly the greatest sovereign for the concept of peace, that was Relena's job. She saw him when the crowds parted and smirked challengingly at him, Quatre smiled back, just as challenging. He always did like a good old arguement and fight with Dorothy and absently touched the scar where she had pierced him, just on his left side. Quatre had asked her if she ever felt bad about stabbing him, she had replied not at all. The other who had been there looked at her disgusted but Quatre knew how to read behind the lies and had smirked, "Only because then you wouldn't have all the fun you usually do with me?" she had smirked back and all resentment to what she had said fizzled, with Quatre at least. The other's still looked like they were going to kill her. Trowa disliked her greatly and did not even grace her the privalage of saying one word to him. Dorothy got the hint and usually flirted with Quatre in the belief that it would make Trowa jealous, how wrong she had been. He could see Millardo and Noin in the corner and wondered why Relena had not greeted her brother but knew that she had her reasons. She always did. They were both lost in their own little world, Relena said that they had been trying for a child and now, whenever he saw Noin all he could do was too look straight at her stomach in the thoughts that a baby bump would soon appear. He sighed heavily, perhaps jealous that a large majority of his sister's were absent and his father, his father was absent too where as before he would have welcomed events such as these.

"They will make you a man" he could hear his father's voice, teach him the ways of politics but his father had been wrong for once. He was already a man, he didn't need this to make him feel like a man.

Relena seemed to sense his inner turmoil and pressed a hand gently and inconspiuously, as not to make Quatre feel weak, onto Quatre's own hand comfortably. Returning the gesture he squeezed her hand gently and didn't let got for a good few minutes until he felt ready to do so. "There's Delilah LaGrange, did you hear she had her breasts enlarged?" and they were back to their usual joking. It was the annual end of war Christmas ball and Quatre could see Mariemaia somewhere in the distance next to Une who was smiling at her adopted daughter rather lovingly, well as much as Une could do lovingly anyway for they did call her the ice queen behind her back. This had been the first year Mariemaia had attended the event despite the fact the war had ended four years ago and Quatre had felt sorry for her guilt, the guilt that stopped her from attending these never ending political escapades. For her this meant something, for Quatre it just seemed like another political show he was so very used too. He would rather be tucked up in bed...alone. "Quatre?" Relena suddenly asked and Quatre turned with a coy smile.

"Upstairs, five minutes?" he joked and she gave him a raised eyebrow before shaking her head with a gentle smile. "No, gutted. What's wrong?" his tone turned serious upon seeing the concerned look upon Relena's face.

"What did the doctor say, about the tablets? Do you still need them?" Quatre sighed heavily and forced a gentle smile at Relena. Work had taken it's toll and he had collapsed in a board meeting a few weeks ago, the doctor had called it a seizure brought on by stress, drinking and apparantly depression of which the doctor had described antibiotics and depression pills. Quatre was adament he wasn't depressed but looking in the mirror at his taller, dressed to kill but straggly frame told differently and he cursed whoever the hell invented mirrors. Relena winked and gave him a quick kiss on the lips, mich to Quatre's surprise and he laughed. Relena often did shocking things to try and get them to relax, she had an odd sense of humour. Quatre had nodded and opened his mouth to speak to Relena, his feet knocking against her own when someone interrupted his line of speech and they both turned to see Heero standing beside them. Quatre raised an eyebrow and Relena froze. Heero looked, looked calm and collected but Quatre could see that the slight form of twitching expressed extreme nervousness where Heero was concerned and wondered how long indeed he had been standing there.

"Heero?" Relena silently questioned and Heero's expression looked annoyed, staring at Quatre with some great contempt. He had seen them kiss, fucking great Quatre cursed. Heero turned and almost glared at Relena, well tried to but seemed to be unable too.

"I hope you two are happy together. You will not see me again, good day" and he was gone. Quatre turned to Relena and saw the devestation in her eyes and the tears that threatened to spill. Relena did not really cry very often and she must have been deeply hurt inside to be openly upset in public. Letting out a low growl Quatre shouted to Relena to wait there until he returned and set of in the direction that Heero had left. Heero had not been wearing his Preventer uniform but a tuxedo and in such a ball it would be hard to find him, a needle in a haystack was the expression that came to Quatre's mind. He saw his controlled actions however and saw him turn down one of the long hallways that led to an exit. One of the Lord's tried to speak to him but he rudely brushed by, there would be time to apologise later and to be quite honest he was rather annoyed at having to be something that he wasn't constantly. Rage pushed him forward and he found Heero in one of the deserted hallways quite qiuickly. "YUY" he snapped and watched as Heero stilled. Quatre approached him like a dangerous animal and was quite correct when Heero turned and punched him in the jaw, bursting his lip and sending blood splattering down his tux. Quatre stumbled backwards one or two steps before focusing on Heero who was glaring angrily at him once again. "What...The...FUCK" Quatre snarled and Heero's eyes slitted closed aggresively, like a ferile cat getting ready to pounce. Quatre would not be threatened however and took three steps back towards where Heero stood. "How can you say that too her Heero, that she'll never see you again"

"Well she has you now" Heero snapped, "why would she need me. I thought you were not just my comrade but my" he seemed to struggle with the word, "friend...Mr Winner" he ended and Quatre snapped, jumping at Heero and throwing him to the ground in an almightly bang. Rage swept through him once more and he grabbed Heero by the coller, straddling him so that he could not move. Heero did not seem to want to however and was shocked at Quatre's behavious, anger swept from his features to be replaced by surprise. Quatre was aware the someone else, perhaps one or perhaps ten people had entered the room but he didn't care. He punched Heero across the face and grabbed him by the collar once more.

"There is NOTHING going on with me and Relena you coward, she's the one who loves YOU, don;t you understand that! The pain that you've caused her over these years, coming into her life and then casting back out whenever you feel like it and leaving her friends, people like me to pick up the pieces. Life isn't like that Heero Yuy" Quatre snapped his name angrily, as he had done by calling him Mr Winner. Quatre was aware also that there were tears threatening to escape from his eyes and his face was becoming red through shouting he would get this out of his system. "Through all the stresses of Relena's life she still has the time to constantly think about you, you either make a stand now Heero or you never make a stand again. If you want Relena your going to have to have a relationship with her, clear zero one?" Quatre whispered the last bit, almbeit threateningly and was aware that Heero winced. Quatre became dejected and slumped, releasing Heero's collar and slipping off from Heero's lap to the floor where he sat. "It's most likely too late by now anyway" Gunshots ran out quickly and Quatre and Heero were immediantly to attention, turning to see that it had been Wufei, Trowa and Duo whom had entered the room earlier and whom were looking rather strangely at the two of them although Trowa's focus seemed to be elsewhere to where the gunshots had been fired. Quatre, fearing for Relena's safety started to run in the direction of the ballroom before being yanked back by Heero. Right, ever the soldier, to hell with the feelings Quatre grumbled to himself. Duo was next to them in a second, surprisingly hugging Quatre tightly.

"Inappropraite I know" Duo laughed at Heero's glare, "buy you made my day. The look on Heero's face, priceless. Who'd have thought you'd have Heero Yuy floored and speechless"

"They must be guests if they got past security, inside job" Trowa mumbled and brushed up accidently against Quatre, both snapping away as quickly as it had happened. Duo gave them an odd look before nodding and continuing down the hallway. They were all in Preventer's uniforms par Heero and Quatre looked confused as to why when Duo answered his question almost psychically.

"I convinced Heero to go and ask Relena to dance and everything but Mr sensitive over there let his emotions get the better of him, thinking with his head first. Great idea blockhead" Heero only glared at Duo ever so slightly as they reached the balcony over looking the dancefloor. The guests had been cornered by four gunmen and one other man who was holding Relena's arm almost painfully, Relena spat in his face and recieved a slap on the face and was thrown to the ground. Quatre winced and Heero stepped forward when Quatre and Trowa grabbed him. He setttled then and nodded, turning to the others. He handed Quatre a gun and Quatre took it like it was an old friend wishing for comfort. "Quatre and Trowa take the western stairs, me, Wufei and Duo will take the northern stairs" Trowa and Quatre didn't move and stood awkwardly next to each other until Heero's glare spurned them into action and they creeped down the staircase, intercepted by two cards they carefully took care of them until a third jumped out of nowhere at Quatre and kicked the blonde's legs from under him, sending him falling with an almighty smack to his head. More blood Quatre thought, looking at his hand coated in blood where he had felt the back of his head. Trowa had disarmed the man and knocked him unconscious while Quatre was still stunned on the floor. Trowa looked at him, attempting to do so coldly before he winced and reached forward, examinging the back of Quatre's head gently.

"It's just a cut, nothing broken" Trowa said softly and Quatre felt tears threaten to overwhelm him. Yes, perhaps the doctor was right about the depression thing, sometimes he couldn't stop wanting to cry. Trowa looked at him oddly and Quatre stood, wiping away the tears from his eyes and feeling like a miserable child in the process. He was a 22 year old man and should not be crying, even if Trowa had quite cruelly and crudely broken his heart. Trowa reached forward but gunshots ran out and they turned to the main hall, in time to see Heero and the man holding Relena in a hold up. The man had a gun pressed to her throat and was glaring at Heero. Relena did not look panicked and was glaring at Heero also, almost challengingly. Heero did not often use his gun now and seemed to falter where death was concerned. Trowa and Quatre creeped forward and managed to disarm the two men standing behind the leader, the leader backed against the wall and turned, looking left and then right.

"This is for war" the man laughed, pushing the gun tighter into Relena's neck and she winced in pain, struggling against the man unashamadly. Quatre felt proud of her attempt to not let the man show that she was fearful of him, or of death.

"For war?" Wufei snarled and raised his gun, "I think we've had enough of that" Several men flocked into the hallway then and Quatre froze, aware that they were not preventers and definitely not on their side. He became aware also that Duo was hovering above the man and without a second thought jumped on top of him, the man released Relena in an instant and Heero was there, grabbing her tightly to his side as gunshots ran out. In the haze of people running and screaming Quatre's gun was knocked from his hand and he bent to retrieve it, after having kicked the grab into one man when he saw the leader brush Duo off and reach for his gun. He saw him aim the gun and whisper with a smirk, Quatre Winner before firing, Quatre expected pain but the pain he recieved was not of the physical kind as his waist was grabbed and he was flung out the way ever so slightly and watched as the bullet pierced Trowa's chest and sent him reeling back into the wall. Trowa, his Trowa had just taken a bullet for him. It had been three months ago when they had slept with one another, in a slightly drunken crazed frenzy when Trowa had been assigned to protect Quatre at a political meeting. After that there had been no daily phonecalls, emails or other forms of communication they favoured. Links had been severed and Quatre had become, well, upset and depressed and thrown himself into work to forget the pain of everything. The past three months had been filled with drunken bars and clubs and drunken, meaningless sex. Everything flew out the window however as Trowa slid bloodily down the wall and Quatre snapped, turning to the leader and shooting him in the middle of his forehead. Although there was silence in his mind as he dashed for Trowa he was aware people were screaming. Kneeling down by the wincing Trowa he knew that tears were threatening to spill and brushed the brunnettes hair back from his face gently so that he could see his two green eyes. Although time had been moving slowly it had seemed, when Quatre looked into Trowa's eyes everything speed up ever so quickly.

"Trowa, you idiot" Quatre snapped. "What did you do that for?"

"I don't know, following emotions" Trowa weezed and Quatre shook his head. The bullet wound must have hit near his wind pipe for Trowa to be weezing like such.

"What fucking emotions?" Quatre snarled and started examinging the wound, sure he had taken a bullet for him but Quatre had always been bratty and he wasn;t about to stop now. Trowa was merely watching him until he grabbed his hand painfully.

"I fucking love you" he growled albeit slightly weakly, "it's you who doesn't have any emotions, you who doesn't love...me" and with that stunned revelation Trowa passed out from blood loss and pain. Quatre, panicked, turned for the others who were rushing towards them with Sally in tow. He heard someone call to get an ambulance and a back up preventers team, that was Une he realised. Relena tried to prize him away from Trowa but his hand was firmly in Trowa's and he didn't let go until Trowa was in the ambulance and that was only because there was no room. The ambulance left in seconds and Quatre gently whispered.

"He said that he loved me, like, in love"

"Well DUH" Duo snapped, "that doesn't take a rocket scientest. And i always thought you were the goddamn smart one" and Duo was gone, reaching for his phone and phoning Hilde. Quatre was stunned and aware that his head was hurting where he had hit it. Relena reached up and touched his face gently, comfortingly.

"Let's go to the hospital"

"No, you stay here with Heero, I'll..."

"We'll both go, if Wufei and Duo don't mind staying here and looking after everything" Heero glanced at the two and Wufei nodded.

"You know we will" Wufei grumbled and Heero grabbed Quatre's hand and pulled him along to a Preventers car. Once inside Heero turned on the police light and they were away to the hospital in seconds. Quatre wanted to go and see Trowa but was yanked down the hosital to see to his head, with a stitch or two he was fine and waiting for Trowa outside the operating surgery although he still felt slightly light headed. Apparantly the bullet was lodged awkwardly and had to be taking out. Quatre looked visiblly upset and Relena was holding his hand as he stretched out on the chair. Heero was looking at him questiongily.

"What?"

"Are you...okay?" the question seemed strained and Quatre frowned.

"Just strained and stressed from work" Quatre laughed but it was strained and he winced at the noise even to himself. "And worried about Trowa" he sighed.

"I thought that you and Trowa..."he trailed off and Quatre shook his head. "Why?" Heero asked.

"He never called me or talked to me after...after that time"Quatre's words were interuppted by a doctor leaving the ICU to stand before them with a small smile.

"The patient Mr Barton's will make a full recovery although he'll have to stay in hospital for a few days. You can see him, he's awake and aware. Odd, most patients are knocked out by our painkillers" Heero and Relena looked at Quatre and he nodded, stepping through the doors to see Trowa in the middle of the room. He looked saw small in the stark white room and Quatre thought he was indeed asleep when he came over and looked over Trowa sympathetically. He looked slimmer than last time he had seen him and he frowned at the bandage wrapped across his upper chest. He reached forward and touched it gently and became surprised when a hand grabbed his wrist and looked up to see Trowa's eye's wide open. His wrist was released and he looked at Trowa quizzingly.

"Are you feeling okay?"

"Yes" Trowa weezed. "No" they stood in silence for what seemed like forever until Quatre finally found the bravery to ask,

"Why did you leave me after that night?" he asked suddenly and Trowa seemed surprised, looking away from Quatre in shame.

"I...was...scared is perhaps the word that you might use although i don't think it really does any justice"

"Scared" Quatre snapped angrily, "i was scared too, devestated after you left me thinking you didn't love me or was the confession just you high on blood and bullets?" Trowa shook his head and looked at Quatre painfully, the movement obviously causing him pain.

"When i awoke and saw you lying there, you looked so peaceful" he weezed, wincing in pain as he tried to move ever so slightly. "I didn't want to touch you, you were too good for my dirty hands and i hurt you, i will continue to hurt you. My life before you was not kind to me and left me feeling vacant, i rode on my emotions when we, i...you know how unemotional i am, i try to understand human behaviour but i still struggle"

"Hurt me" Quatre grew angrier, "how did you hurt me? We have been through the same experiences during the war, you are not dirty" Quatre grabbed Trowa's hand painfully. "Your such a bloody idiot Trowa Barton" Quatre snapped and leanded forward, kissing Trowa squarely on his lips and with such force that Trowa was quite sure that his lips would bruise but he didn't mind at all. Trowa seemed surprised and his heart beat monitor bleeped at his hastening heart rate. "I don't know where this can go but we can try..." Quatre mumbled.

"I'd like that"

"But don't ever, EVER run out on me again Trowa" Quatre whispered sadly, "you have no idea the damage that you've done"

"I won't" and Quatre realised, despite the panic that Trowa would indeed leave through his past experience, that perhaps this time he wouldn't.

THE END

It's not very good i know but i couldn't resist, i was seriously bored and being inspired by other people's work, unfortuantly it cant seem to inspire my inteligence, damn.


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